


Rise of the Fallen

by Cloudyerd11



Category: Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Dark, Controversy, Deceit, Depression, F/M, Failed Rescue, Gen, Hiding in Plain Sight, Kidnapping, Missions Gone Wrong, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rebellion, Rescue, Universal Loss of Hope
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-01-29 22:48:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21417940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cloudyerd11/pseuds/Cloudyerd11
Summary: Mighty Earth, once a prosperous and habitable place of life and future, has fallen to it's knees. In the confusion that was the aftermath of what they call “the Attack on New York”, Hydra rose from it's grave, whipping out everything within its path. Including Earth's Mightiest Heroes.After the fall of the Avengers, two new political structures formed. The Consolations rule with conflicted trusts and deceit, while the Revelations rule with fear and pure terror. With never-ending conflict and fear just around the corner, the people have earth have become distressed, falling into petty crime and left with only little to survive. There is no hope left for the people of Earth; no lives, no past, no future.Deep in the heart of Manhattan, between the rugged skyscrapers and gutted apartments, rests a secret known to none. A relic, banished to the darkness, forbidden to be uncovered from it's impenetrable prison. In the darkness of night… a piece of hope stirs…A blue arch reactor comes to life.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Kudos: 4





	1. The Introduction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI EVERYONE! I just want to let you all know that I am completely rewriting these first few published chapters. I have been at a mental block with this story for WAY too long so I need to completely start over. The concept and the events up to this point will remain the same, I'm just completely rewriting what I have, adding more descriptions/details, and changing the POV entirely. Everything is going to be in the first person from this point on. Thanks for sticking by me for so long and let me know if you have any questions or suggestions!

Heroes. A simple term filled with familiarity, most of us having grown up hearing tales of their great achievements. They use that word to define the best of us, those who are stronger, smarter, braver, and more selfless than the rest of us choose to be. Those heroes -  _ superheroes _ \- are beacons of hope for us, to help us live our lives out of fear and put unknown faiths in unknown hands. They fight for us, even when most of us can’t.

Yet - in the end - heroes couldn’t prevent what happened to us.

Mighty Earth is what we called ourselves, once a prosperous and habitable place. It was a world filled with life and future, creativity and innovation; at least from what I’ve been told. Now we have fallen to our knees, crumbled and reduced to nothing.

We never saw it coming. In the confusion that was the aftermath of what historians call the  _ Attack on New York _ , an evil organization called  _ Hydra _ rose from its grave. From our own gaze we watched as it made its way across hundreds of cities, hundreds of communities. They killed millions, no matter their value, and threatened everyone remaining as they strode towards world domination.

Our desperation grew faster than Hydra, everyone from each region of the world banding together to fight the infiltration, to destroy the parasite taking away our home. And those heroes - the  _ Avengers _ \- were leading the way. They hadn’t stopped fighting since those creatures descended from that hole in the sky, and we fought valiantly beside them even when it was to no avail. Cities crumbled like snow. Peace groups collapsed from the inside. Even world governments - the strongest ones especially - were reduced to nothing. Yet we still kept fighting

Everything that was happening around us was nothing compared to when the Avengers fell at the hands of Hydra.

We watched it - 7.4 billion people around the world - watched as the Avengers met their graves in New York. There was nothing they could do. They fought to keep us safe, even to the last moments when they could do nothing but become vaporized, cornered and unable to do anything more.

This fact I know is true, for when I was two-years-old I watched it with my own eyes.

The rest is a little foggy. Rather than the people of earth becoming discouraged and defeated, we joined together in one last final effort, sending Hydra to the hell they came from.

For a brief moment, there were celebrations of victory, but it was outweighed by the grief that flowed through all of us. Around the world, millions of people met at their former capitals to honor the lives of the _World’s_ _Greatest Heroes_. Two billion people alone met in New York for the induction of artifacts to the new “Avengers Memorial”; a museum on their final resting place where memorabilia such as Captain America’s shield and Iron Man’s helmet were put on display. The site was free of charge, available for all to come and remember.

Nothing was the same after that. How could it? The world had taken so many steps backward it didn’t know where it was anymore. Confusion was the only sure emotion for months as countries tried to rebuild or start over completely. When two new political structures formed, many were so desperate for relief they fell blindly into their support.

The first group was the Consolations, who ruled with conflicted trusts and deceit. The second was the Revelations, who gained control with fear and pure terror. Both sides were unjust and ruthless from the beginning, tearing apart the modern world both at home and abroad. Struggling people were forced to pledge their allegiance to one side or the other, registering and given proper identification. Those who refused - seeing it as unjust and unruly - disappeared entirely.

Both sides are fighting for ultimate power over the world, this current long stretched conflict being deemed as “the New War”, only this one has no endpoint in sight. There’s no winning in this new world, and with the Avengers now gone, there is no one to aid protection for all of us stuck below. There isn’t even so much as basic human rights anymore.

There were a few people who tried to fight for us; they were given the title of  _ the Mornings _ , for that was as long as they were known for before they vanished. Even those who previously had special abilities went into hiding, soon becoming  _ the Forgotten _ . Most of us, including myself, simply see them as myths and legends from time.

Life has been this way for the past fifteen years: people becoming distressed and losing hope, falling into petty crime, and left with only little to survive. We have nothing; no lives, no pasts, no future. There is nothing we can do. We hide to survive and fight to hide. Most of us are nothing but empty shadows, hiding from the reality around us. All we can do is simply pray to an unloving God that we make it to the next day.

There are no heroes here.


	2. The Girl with No Name

The darkness of the night encases me in a cocoon as I lean on a wooden railing, looking out over the New York bay. This may be my home - the bay may be a feature I come to gaze upon every day - but I never get tired of watching it, the murky blue water reflecting the manhattan skyline lights like oils on a painting.

Tonight I’m standing by an old shipping dock, a new place for me. Normally I would go to some of my favorite spots, but I had come across the place by accident on my alternative path and decided to make a detour. No, I can’t see the old Coney Island, nor can I see the silver column of the Hero’s Museum. This has something better. If I look hard enough - if I squint my eyes hard to the point of a headache - I can see the blue walls and purple windows of the old  _ Avengers Tower _ .

Despite the induction of the museum and the congregation of artistic statues all over the city, no one could bear to tear that old tower down. It was like a beacon of hope among everything that had changed, everything that was still going.

A statue in itself of how things used to be.

With a sigh, I glance one more time at the bay before turning down the dock’s sidewalk. I know that a seventeen-year-old like me should never be out at this time of night, regardless of whether or not I’m alone, but that has never stopped me before. It’s a small tradition of mine, a relief. Every evening, without fail, I set out into the night, going wherever I please and staying out until the slightest slimmer of dawn awakens on the horizon.

Besides, I have every defense system I could possibly need.

Except clearly the ability to look behind some shipping crates as a pair of hands grabs me from behind when I walk past. I’m thrown against the stone wall, barely keeping my head from connecting with the hard surface. I look up, a boy about my age a few feet from my face and swaying side-to-side like a hood-wink gangster.

“What the fuck dude?”

“Well well well. Looky here.” His breath reeked of alcohol. “What’s a pretty girl like you doing out here by yourself?”

“Clearly not looking for fuck boys like you.” I’ve encountered people like this before, I know specifically what not to do and how to handle myself. “That’s for sure.”

“Oh, well. Don’t you worry deary.” I can now hear the slight Jersey accent piercing his voice. “I just want a second of your time.”

“Yea? Well, look for someone else’s time.”  _ You drunken bastard _ , but I don’t want to say that aloud.

The boy steps in front of me as I make a move away. I can see the three separate movements out of the corners of my eyes before he can even finish snapping his fingers. Yet I’m not fast enough. Two of them grab my arms, stepping painfully on my feet with their worn combat boots. Another holds me from behind, wrapping one arm around my neck and the other around my waist. Thighs cross over mine from behind, painfully phishing my knees outwards. He leans back, holding me against the wall. All three are keeping me from moving entirely.

“Oh. Don’t you worry,” the leader says. “As I said, I just want a second of your time and we’ll all be on our way.”

I glare at him, though I probably already know his answer. “What the fuck could you possibly want?

“All I want to know is who your heart is with. Who you want to see leading you into the future.”

Finally, I see it as he takes a step closer; the symbol over his left ear. A snake, wrapped around an upside-down triangle of thorns. He’s part of the Revelations. I understand where this is coming from now.

He wants me to name my allegiance.

“I want nothing to do with you or your Revelations.”

He steps back, acting like I hit him in the face. “You dare ally yourself with the Cons?”

“I don’t want anything to do with them either.” I try to jerk my arm forward but it doesn’t do any good. “Fuck you. Let me go.”

“Now hold on.” He holds his hand out before him. “Are you telling me you haven’t given your pledge of allegiance?”

The voice in the back of my head activates.  _ Public rule number 5: never share your allegiance. _

“I have.”

“Then which side is it, lovely?”

“I don’t have to answer you or any of your questions.”

“Well, you better answer.” His face goes completely dark. “Or I’m gonna turn you in and make sure you never see the light of day.”

“Hm. That would require you to actually have the intelligence to accomplish that.”

“Oh, a smart  _ and _ mouthy one I see.” He makes a move to reach into my empty pocket, but I jerk away with as much movement as his friends are allowing. “What’s your name baby?”

It’s my turn for my face to fall under the serious shadow. “That’s nothing you need to be concerned with.”

He stares dangerously at me, smiling with venom. “Well well. Do my eyes deceive me? Or do we have someone who doesn’t have an identification?”

Alright, now I’m done. My attempt at stepping away doesn’t work, the other thugs gripping me tighter. I feel the one behind me adjust, putting his fifth-ridden hand on my mouth. He chuckles slightly, breathing down my neck. The leader takes a step closer.

“Well then” he whispers. He strokes the side of my face, continuing down my restrained arm. I can see the lust sparkle in his eyes.

“Maybe I’ll just have to give you some identification myself.”

There it is, that familiar wave of panic that comes with danger. I know what’s about to happen - I can see it racing towards me from a mile away - but I am completely defenseless. I barely have room now to breathe let alone escape. Could there be the chance that someone was about to walk by right at this moment? The world may be different now, but there are some basic human instincts that haven’t disappeared from everybody. No. The back of this building is empty. Anyone walking by on the street at the end of the alleyway won’t be able to see anything but large shipping crates and cursed darkness.

I have to get out of here.

A subconscious flinch runs through me as the leader takes a final step closer. His friends are gripping me tighter now, giving me the feeling of snakes wrapping around me. I try to make a call for help into the darkness, but the boy has his hand wrapped so tight around my neck it comes out as a whimper instead.

“Oh don’t worry now baby,” the boy in front of me says, clearly able to hear the small noise. “We’ll go nice and slow for ya.”

As his body presses into mine - engulfing me with the difference in sizes - he leans his face into the crook of my neck, breath hot on my skin. Hands began to wander, first investigating the undersides of my arms before making their way across my stomach and around to my back. I feel his hips pressing into mine painfully, the body behind me acting more as a backboard than a captor.

Deep breath.  _ Deep breath _ . My body is shaking, though the boy doesn’t seem to notice. The voice speaks again.  _ Public rule number seven: remember basic defensive maneuvers _ .

_ Step one- search for a weakness _ .

I watch the boy out of the corner of my eye as I turn my physical attention to the captors. For a brief second, all my muscles tighten and release, a wave of tension running through my body. There. My left foot. The friend is putting more weight on the top and inside of my foot, not the outside. That’s just enough space to pull out my foot.

Hands move to right under my arms, pulling my attention back to the boy. He snakes his arms up under my shoulders, gripping the sides of my head right below my ears, pulling him closer to me. I have to hold in air to keep from smelling his breath as his face rests half an inch from mine. The hand on my mouth moves, gripping the hair on the back of my head, holding me still.

They’ve done this before. It’s obvious at this point. I wonder how many other women they’ve violated up until this point. How many women who were like me and unable to fight back?

How many women who are nothing like me.

_ Step two: come up with a plan _ .

I’m forced to stare into a pair of horrifyingly blue eyes flickering up and down from my eyes to my lips. He’s studying, observing, stalling in a twisted manner. Waiting for an inevitable moment - like me.

_ Step three: wait for a distraction _ .

His hands run down the side of my face one more time. “Why don’t we get this started?” He whispers, smiling becoming that of a demon. Two hands cover my face before I even realize they’ve moved, one over my mouth and the other on top of my eyes. The mental clock begins counting down.

_ Three…  _

The boy’s hands move down my back before wrapping around my sides and landing at my hips.

_ Two _ … 

His knuckles brush against me as he fidgets with something out of reach.

_ One…  _

I feel his fingers touch my waistband, moving towards the front of my worn-out jeans.

_ Step four: execute the plan with flawless precision. _

My foot easily slides out from under the boy’s boot, instantly kneeing the leader in between his legs. I twist my left hand towards my captor’s thumb, who instinctively releases it out of pain. A quick movement of my arm and I’m elbowing the one behind me in the jaw, happy when his grimy hands release my face. I pop my head back too for good measure, creaming the guy in the nose and dropping him with a thud. The boy to my right has picked up on what’s happening, grabbing my arm tighter. Easy. I grab the first boy, sending him flying into his friend. Easier. With no more hands restraining me, I pull the top crate from a pile the two boys are in front of, the wood crashing over their heads. I know they’re still breathing, but they aren’t moving, thankfully… 

Two unsuspecting hands grab my ankle, squeezing it to the point of pain. I pivot, the heel of my other foot connecting with him, and he’s out like a light. Still spinning, I use my built-up momentum to kick the leader trying to get up, him sprawling on the ground once more.

The mess around me is beautiful - definitely one of my prouder works - but I don’t feel I’ve made enough of a point. I step over to the leader, grabbing his hair with my hand and pulling his unresponsive head up to look at me.

“To answer your question from before,” I say, tilting my head to one side, observing his bloody face. “I’m the girl with no name.”

His face satisfyingly thumps back to the pavement as I stand up, looking once more at the boys around me. This is  _ exactly _ what they trained us for, the whole reason they recommend anyone - especially girls - in the Cords to sign up for the self-defense class. Me? I had taken it several times up to this point, making sure I was ready for anything when carrying goods.

The goods. The bag. Are they…? I’m already removing my jacket before I can finish my own sentence, revealing the black straps to the salty night musk. My shoulders are relieved now that the familiar weight was lifted off my shoulders, the bag falling to the ground in front of me. I kneel, careful not to put my knee in the small puddle of blood, inspecting every inch of my carrier. I breathe when I find that everything is in there, intact and inescapable.

That was one thing I definitely did not need to deal with right now.

Once back on my feet, I turn and nonchalantly walk towards the opening of the alleyway into the street. A quick second of hesitation runs through me when my gazer falls on two officers chatting against the wall, but I steady myself with a deep breath. I raise my posture while keeping my head down, rehearsing my usual bullshit script of a lie in my mind.

A voice behind me sends shivers down my spine.

“Help!” The leader is awake again, on the ground in view of the officers. The two officers spotted her, and upon seeing the boy on the ground, began to approach her. “Help! Officers please!”

If this was any other situation, she could talk her way out of it. If the officers were literally anyone else - like a merchant or another stranger perhaps - she could explain what happened and be able to get away. No. This is worse. With four bloodied boys and two officers, I’m fucked. I have to run. I have to get out of here. There are no other options for me. Under no circumstances can I come in contact with those officers.

For I am an Unidentified.

“Oi. You! Come back!”

My feet are already sprinting before I have to tell them too. I run down the docks, remembering the cut-through between two of the shipping buildings. With a sharp right, I begin cutting through the alley, kicking off the wall out of instinct to keep my momentum going in the new direction. I come out on a sidewalk, and with the basic understanding of this area’s layout, I hook a left, not even bothering to see how close those officers are.

With a sudden vault over an old bike rack and racing past poor passing souls, I put enough distance between me and the two men to make it into the first alleyway I come across. I’m better in the shadows, they allow me to hide with easy shelter and get away without being known.

Yet, this alley is  _ tight _ , and I slam right into a large metal container I hadn’t seen when I first came around the corner. I double over in pain, falling into the solid brick wall to my left. I wait for the instant feeling of rough edges along my face, but it doesn’t come, rather I just continue to fall. The strange part is, I hit my shoulder before my face, giving me just enough to catch myself before my head slams into the ground.

I roll onto my back, so confused I don’t hear the initial entrance of the officers into the alley. Out of fear I slam my hands over my mouth, elevating my head to watch for that one hand bound to come through the curtain disguised wall.

There is the beam of a flashlight, the screech of a metal trash can, a curse. The seconds are being filled with stifled breathing and the pounding of my own heartbeat, the confusion is making the fear worse.

“Fuck,” a deep voice grumbled. “Let’s go.”

To say I am relieved is a complete understatement. I finally lay my head down on the stone, taking as many deep breaths as possible. How long had I remained still for, laying on this stone corridor an inch from freedom? Every muscle in my body is telling me it was a while and begging me to stand.

Curiosity has finally run over me, and I carefully approach the curtain. My hand runs over it, easily passing through. It wasn’t cloth after all, but rather a mirage. A strange one by the looks of it; the energy is still sticking to my hand even after I pull it away.  _ What the hell? _ ... 

All the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

There’s energy all around me, a force growing heavier and clearer by the second. It couldn’t be… No. No magic died years ago. That’s completely ruled out. I slowly turn around, observing the walls with a close eye. What else could it possibly be?

It stands out like a majestic eyesore.

An old wooden door sits embedded in the dull blue wall, partially hidden by the descending cement stairs in front. It had certainly seen better days, with its splintering edges and cloudy grey window panes. Other than its aesthetic, it doesn’t stand out at all, but the shivers are still running down my spine. It isn’t from the energy now nor was it leftover fear. My eyes are glued to the golden handle and doorknob on the right side.

The door handle is turning by itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Thanks for reading the first chapter. I do hope to give my character a name at some point, I just don't really have any ideas. So please leave suggestions in the comments! Next chapter coming soon!


	3. Under the Blue Lights

The girls approached the door, stepping slowly down the stone stairs, her eyes still on the moving door handle. The closer she got the more she realized that rather than spinning or turning around, it was simply shaking back and forth.

She stole a look backward. Maybe there was someone behind her, distracting her by making the door handle move. But there wasn’t even as much as a moving leaf in the hidden nook let alone someone trying to find her.

She felt herself becoming drawn to the door, a secret force pulling her heart and soul closer to the unknown contents beyond the wooden door. Stepping down the steep and few stone stairs, the girl reached her hand towards the vibrating door handle. A click sprinted around the small area before her soft skin could touch the cold solid metal, the rusty door instantly opening, showing nothing more than a rusty ladder descending into the ground below. Strange wind pushed past her from behind, semi-inadvertently pulling her into the doorway. The runaway stole one more look behind her before descending the ladder, the door closing loudly behind her.

The room was extremely dark and musty, the scent of earth untouched for years filling the air. The light from where the ladder decided illuminated a small space, casting endless shadows along the edges of the room. The shadowed stone-walled and smooth floored room was completely empty...

Except at the end of the room, where a clear case on a black podium blended in with the dark. The case was slightly bigger than her head by the looks of it and completely clean with no trace of human touch.

Inside the glass case, standing at a slight angle, was a small silver object with a flat yet hollow face, the whole thing no bigger than her fist. The surface was covered with circles and designs connecting down into the middle, where an electric blue light pulsed like a heartbeat.

As she took a step forward, the blue light pulsed vibrantly, filling the entire room. She stopped moving forward, a wind once again appearing at her back, rushing towards the blue light. 

She was beginning to have second thoughts about being there. This isn't right. All of her alarms were going off, begging her to turn around and never come back. But there was something else, pleading for her to take a step forward.

Before she made a decision, she found herself moving forward towards the glass. She was standing still, her feet firmly under her, but she was sliding across the floor towards the glowing orb. It seemed like the more she tried to resist, the more the mysterious force pulled her towards the glass. Strange voices whispered around her as the wind pushed her towards the glass.

_ “Love! Come back!” _

_ “How can this be happening?” _

_ “Love where are you?” _

_ “The Avengers are dead!” _

_ “Get everyone out of here! Evacuate the park!” _

_ “You won’t win this one Red…” _

_ “Has anyone seen a little girl?” _

_ “How can you possibly protect your precious city when you can’t even begin to protect yourselves? _

A horrid red face appeared in front of her, laughing and smiling deviously at her. Reaching out his hand towards her.

With a gasp, the girl’s mind snapped back to reality, right as her hand touched the clear glass.

The glass shattered, sending her flying backward into the opposite wall. She covered her head as glass fell around her. Looking up she saw that the blue light was still there, suspended in the air and glowing brighter and brighter with every passing second.

She tried to stand up, but as she got to her knees another explosion forced her back down. The force this time wasn’t glass, but pure blue energy, making the hair on the back of her neck stand straight up, even more than the time she had been stuck outside in a lightning storm.

There was still a tremendous amount of light shining throughout the room. She held her hand up, trying to see through the small partings between her fingers. What she saw sent all her emotions running down her spine at once.

Where the glass box and bright light once stood was now the figure of a person.

She stood up in an instant, her defense systems on the ready.

The man was tall, his shoulders broad and muscular. His black hair complimented his black goatee, the one that was recognizable by anyone. He wore a black t-shirt and black jeans, making him look even taller. And above all else, the distinguished blue light floating in the middle of his black-shirted chest, making him recognizable immediately.

It was him, the one who saved the world by carrying that nuke through the wormhole all those years before. He was the one who led the  _ Avengers _ , one of the last ones to fall during the war. It was him.

_ The Iron Man _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all had a great holiday season and are having a great start to the new decade. I will hopefully be posting more often, but sorry if there are long pauses in between. As per normal, comments are greatly appreciated, and I hope you all enjoy!


	4. The Realizationing

The girl couldn’t breathe. Whether it was the dust in the air or getting the wind knocked out of her when she fell, her lungs were aching, struggling to pull in the right amount of oxygen. Her entire body was screaming at her as well, both in pain and in desperation to leave.

Yet she was completely frozen from shock, doing nothing but breathing hard and staring at the man standing in front of her.

She watched as he seemed to break out of ice, slowly moving his limbs until he was completely free. He blinked, taking in a deep breath and looking wide-eyed around the room. He looked down at his arms, turning them over, noticing the blue reflecting off of them. He touched his chest, letting out a breath of relief at the feeling and sight of the arc-reactor. He turned around, looking at the glass on the floor, studying the stone of the ceiling, everything, before turning back around.

Then he noticed her frozen there.

“I don’t think I’ll ever take another drink again,” he said, his voice like steel. He was looking at her like he was expecting a reaction, but she didn’t do anything except continue her staring.

“Hey. Here,” the man said, kneeling down and reaching out his hand to help her up.

But rather than excepting the offer, the girl merely punched him in the face. The man jerked backward and stood up, letting out a curse. The girl pushed herself back until she was completely against the wall.

“Alright, listen,” the man said, turning back towards her but still holding his face. “I know you’re scared…”

“Of course I’m fucking scared. You’re dead.”

“That’s no reason to punch someone who’s trying to help you!”

“Then say that next time! Don’t just approach me!”

“I was trying to be courteous!”

“Well I’ve had too many strange and creepy men try to be ‘courteous’ to me tonight, so no thank you.”

“Fine, then get your own ass up off the floor.”

The girl stood up, using the wall to guide her and keep her steady. Her face had changed from shock to anger now, glaring at him with cold eyes.

“Who are you and what kind of sorcery bull-shit did you just pull on me?”

“What are you talking about? I’m Tony Stark.”

“No. You’re not,” she answered with dead-seriousness. “Alright? You’re not Tony Stark. Believe me. You aren’t fooling anyone. So don’t make me ask you again.”

“Well I’m sorry, but you’re not going to get an answer. I already told you.” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and taking a deep breath in. “I’m sorry. I have too many…  _ things _ going through my brain right now and I’m trying to figure them out.”

“You’re really him, then?” The girl asked, taking a step forward. “You’re the man that saved New York? Who flew through that worm-hole in the sky?”

He turned, looking at her with wide eyes. “You know about that?”

“Of course I do. I remember everything about what happened that day. One doesn’t just forget something like that.”

“You’re telling me.” He faced her, looking at her with his beautiful and intelligent brown eyes. He held out his hands, motioning to the space around them. “Do you at least know where we are?”

“Not sure. In the basement of an old building just west of Manhattan.”

“Okay. Well, that’s a start.”

“Not really, considering the fact that you’re back from the dead.”

“You know, you keep saying that, but you’re not explaining anything.”

Her faced scrunched in disbelief, looking at him in confusion. “You don’t remember?”

He didn’t change his expression, just simply continued to stare at her with his hands out beside him.

“You and the Avengers, right after New York… you all were fighting Red Skull in Central Park. People all around the world watched you get vaporized by a red light… we all watched you die.”

The overconfident mask on Tony’s face had completely disappeared, replaced by one of confusion in shock. She wasn’t sure if the noise was coming from his Arc Reactor or the gears in his brain, but she could definitely tell that his brain was on overload trying to comprehend everything she had just told him.

“ _ All _ ?” He said in a whisper.

She nodded her head. “All of you.”

After a moment of silence and heavy breathing, the girl watched as Tony looked up at her. She could faintly see the tears filling his eyes, along with a small hint of anger.

“How long?”

The girl didn’t answer, not understanding.

He took a step closer, more anger filling his eyes where the joy and teasing had been earlier. “ _ How long ago was New York _ ?”

The girl swallowed, looking him straight in the eyes. 

_ “Fifteen years ago.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Everyone! I'm so, so sorry it took me so long to post this chapter. I've been having some severe writers block when it comes to stories that I wrote a while ago. And I'm also sorry this chapter is so short. But I have an idea of where I want this story to go and will most likely be posting a lot more often.
> 
> Also to let you all know, I have a website now where you can find all my stories and get updates on chapter postings and story updates. Please use this link: https://sites.google.com/view/cloudyerd11/home and let me know what you all think.
> 
> Please feel free to ask question, leave kudos, or just read in general. All forms of feedback are welcomed and appreciated. Thanks for reading and -as normal- keep smiling. :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! This is a new style of writing for me, so please let me know what you all think. Thanks for reading it this far!


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